Iran executed at least 1,639 people in 2025, highest amount in decades
Iran carried out a record number of executions in 2025, with at least 1,639 people put to death, up 68% from the previous year, according to human rights groups Iran Human Rights
Iran executed at least 1,639 people in 2025, marking the highest total since 1989, according to a joint report by Iran Human Rights and Together Against the Death Penalty.
The figure represents a 68% increase compared to 2024, when 975 executions were recorded, signaling a sharp escalation in the use of capital punishment by Iranian authorities.
The report notes that at least 48 women were among those executed. However, researchers stress the true number is likely higher due to limited transparency, as many executions are not officially disclosed. The documented cases rely on independent verification, averaging more than four executions per day over the year.
According to the organizations, this is the highest annual total since they began tracking in 2008, and the most recorded since the years following the Islamic Revolution. They warn the situation could deteriorate further amid rising internal unrest and external pressures.
Human rights groups are particularly concerned that the death penalty is increasingly being used as a tool of repression, especially following protests in January 2026. Those demonstrations were met with a severe crackdown, leaving thousands dead and tens of thousands arrested. NGOs warn that hundreds of detained protesters may still face death sentences, intensifying concerns over the country’s human rights situation.